In his 1975 cult classic, Rollerball, Caan plays Rollerball champion Jonathan E., who represents the hope of a global community dominated and controlled by an absurdly powerful, internationally aligned governmental authority known simply as the “corporations.” The film basically paints a picture of a dystopian society in which all the needs of the people (food, shelter, medical care, even companionship and recreational drugs) are determined and administered by a global corporate state.

Rollerball, a fast paced, uber-violent game, is used to pacify the people’s perceived taste for sport and violence. The global elites have dubbed themselves most qualified to make vital decisions on behalf of the majority, and their ordinances are to be adhered to without question or resistance. But when Jonathan is strongly encouraged to retire (as he has captured the minds and hearts of a people unknowingly in bondage), he makes a stand… and that’s when things really get interesting.

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In response to Jonathan’s reluctance and resistance to leave the only family he has left (his rollerball teammates), the head of the global corporate state, one Mr. John Houseman, exercises his full authority, severely admonishing Jonathan as he declares:

Why argue about decisions you are not powerful enough to make for yourself.

By the movie’s end, Jonathan reflects upon the tragedy of a world in which freedom is replaced by “privilege” (that can be arbitrarily changed and even revoked – like the time one of the corporate executives decided he wanted Jonathan’s wife and took her to have as his own). “Those privileges buy us off,” he laments.

California Senator Diane Feinstein, in proposing legislation regarding Shield Laws for journalists, referred to the First Amendment as a “special privilege.” The FCC’s recent decision to move forward with Net Neutrality, which authorizes the government to regulate and control the internet, actually drove Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., to break out in song and dance — he even posted a video of his celebration online. Obamacare, gun control, and Democrats’ calls for martial law are only the beginning!

Art imitates life and vice versa, as we can clearly see where all this is headed. I don’t know about you, but I stand with Jonathan. Game on!

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